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Saturday, 7 September 2013

The Prestige

“Are You Watching Closely?” is
the main focus throughout the duration of The Prestige. Director Christopher
Nolan twists and turns fill our minds full of enigma and perplexity that makes
us ask “How?” Set in the end of the beautiful Victorian era years in London, magicians
Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) and Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman) are locked in a
bitter feud after an illusion gone wrong that resulted in the death of a
beautiful assistant. As bitter feuds grow to grudges that lead to sabotaging
each other’s shows, the captivation of one particular illusion “The Transported
Man” starts off as fascination but slowly drives Angier to reckless obsession
in search of the truth behind the illusion. The Prestige is an extravagant
endeavour of thrilled mystery and perplexity.

Both magicians are in an
abracadabra war of un-puzzling each other’s tricks and sabotage. The story is
told through the diary entries of Borden that Angier has possession of in an
attempt to uncover the truth behind his tricks and mysteries. However as Borden
reads on we also discover the journey he embarks on of fascination that drives
to obsession. Watching The Prestige is like entering a magical show of
illusions, tricks and hypnosis. The Prestige is a film deliberately crafted to
fool you and make you believe what it wants you to believe. At the very
beginning we are shown the core foundations to a perfect trick, The Pledge, The
Turn and The Prestige. Christopher Nolan is not only the director to The
Prestige but rather the illusionists, mentalists, tricksters and hypnotists and
we are the audience waiting to be fooled. You are constantly being misdirected
by the cinematic version of sleight of hand but we still sit there and be
mesmerized.